Revival

So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"
(Neh. 6:3 KJV)

Hindrances to Revivals
When Christians become proud of their "great revival," it will stop. I mean those Christians who have been instrumental in promoting it.

It is almost always the case with a revival that a part of the church proves too proud or too worldly to take any part in the work. They are determined to stand aloof and to wait and see what its outcome will be. However, the pride of this part of the church cannot stop the revival, because the revival never depended on them. It began without them, and it can go on without them. They may fold their arms and do nothing but watch and find fault, yet the work will go on.

Not Having Ongoing Revival
A revival will decline and cease unless Christians are frequently revived. By this I mean that Christians, in order to keep in the spirit of revival, need to be frequently convicted and humbled before God. The idea of a Christian being revived is something that many do not understand. But the fact is that, even during a revival, the Christian's heart is able to get crusted over and lose its exquisite desire for divine things. His anointing and prevalence in prayer abate, and he must be renewed again.

It is impossible to keep a Christian in such a holy state unless he passes through such a process every few days. I have never worked revivals with anyone who wanted to continue the work and be fit to manage a revival who did not pass through this process of repentance every two or three weeks.

Conflict within the Ranks
Revival can be put down by the continued opposition of the old school combined with a bad spirit in the new school. If those who do nothing to promote revival continue their opposition, and if those who are working to promote it allow themselves to grow impatient and develop a bad spirit, the revival will cease. When the old school writes letters in the papers against revival or revivalists, and the new school answers in a contentious spirit, revival will cease.

Let them keep to their work and neither talk about the opposition nor preach on it, nor rush into print about it. If others choose to publish slander, let the Lord's people keep to their work. None of the slander will stop the revival while those who are engaged in it mind their own business and keep to their work.

There will be a price to pay for revival and it will cost you. But for all who are willing to pay the price, the reward will be great. There will be a price to pay for revival, but how can anyone put a price on a soul that is won to Jesus? 

Revival is not just one experience with God-here today and gone tomorrow. Revival is a lifestyle. Contend for revival, because the enemy knows that if he can stop revival, he can get the Church into a lethargic state. And the Church has been lethargic way too long. We must understand the time in which we live. Time is short and Jesus is coming back very soon. We are living in the last days, the time of the former and the latter rain together. It is the time of the Word and the Spirit coming together and bringing the dead to life. You were born for such a time as this!

God's idea of success in revival is that when everything that will come against you to stop the move of God in your life, you can say, "Through it all, I still have my family and my determined purpose."

We need every member of our family, our church family and the Church universal functioning in its place so that hearts can be touched and changed and revival can flow to a lost and dying world.

A Prayer for Families

Father, we come in the precious name of Jesus, thanking you that You have poured out Your Spirit upon (name families). Their wilderness has become a fruitful field. Justice, peace and the comfort of the Holy Spirit dwells with them. They dwell in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings and in quiet resting places. There is stability in their times and abundance of prosperity, wisdom, healing and knowledge. They have a reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord and You, Lord, are their treasure.

We pray that these families will discern the things that are vital and necessary for their life. They will approve the things that are excellent so that in the days ahead, they will not stumble or cause others to stumble and that the fruits of their righteousness can be displayed.

We pray that every one of these families will come to know their inheritance and the very hope of their calling. They are useful and helpful and kind to each other, tenderhearted, compassionate, loving hearted, forgiving one another readily and freely as You, Father, in Christ forgave them.

We pray that each family member will be imitators of You, O God. They will copy You and follow Your example as well beloved children imitate their father. Thank you Lord, that Your Blood is over each family, no darkness can come in. The devil is bound and every mission and assignment of his is broken over them in the name of Jesus.

Thank you, Lord, for grace and spiritual blessings being heaped upon every family now, even as we pray and that as You Who began a good work in them, You will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.